A Passion Found in Pain
by SnootchSir94
Summary: Jo Hayabusa asks his son if he has thought about his future as the head of the Hayabusa ninja clan. He teaches him about love, and Ryu has old memories return to him. Is he truly a lonely man? Rated T for blood and suggestive themes.


_**A/N:** This is a Ryu and Momiji fic I've stirred up. Please note that I own none of the characters besides the golden samurai that appears in this story, and I am not gaining monetary profit from it whatsoever. Please, enjoy the story, and rate/review if you have the time!_

Ryu Hayabusa and his apprentice- the Dragon Shrine Maiden, Momiji- were just returning from a sparring session deeper in the mountains when they noticed tall, menacing, smokey clouds rising from the Hayabusa village. The duo exchanged anxious looks before sprinting toward the village gates, which were strewn about in pieces across the ground. Along with the gates were the bodies of the guards, Akira and Takahashi, dark blood pooling around their midsections. Momiji gasped as Ryu closed his eyes with remorse. Once again, he had allowed the village to be attacked. Shame quietly overtook his features, prompting him to pull his mask over his face.

"Master Ryu, we should split up," Momiji suggested. He nodded. That way, they could take care of the careless souls who had dared cross the Hayabusa path.

"Their presence is powerful," Ryu whispered under his breath as he ran through the left half of his father's village. He looked around at the decimated homes of the Hayabusa clan. He soaked in the sights of entire families murdered in cold blood. They were defenseless, and some families had taken futile measures in trying to combat the enemy: men and women alike held pots, pans, brooms, and some even wielded kitchen knives in their doomed attempts to save their families.

Suddenly, three dinosaur-like monsters, all with a red, scaly skin tone, appeared before Ryu. They roared mightily and rushed at him. He unsheathed his Dragon Sword and slid beneath the middle demon, dragging his blade across its underbelly and spilling its organs on the ground. The remaining two once again attempted to ram him, and he jabbed his sword straight into the head of the one on his right. However, the left fiend managed to scratch his arm, and blood slowly began to trickle from the cut. Giving a grunt, Ryu unlodged his sword from the skull of the other red monstrosity and dug it into the neck of his final attacker. The monster gave a yelp as it died a slow and painful death, with Ryu's hate-filled green eyes peering into the empty abyss that should have contained a soul.

Meanwhile, Momiji had found homes that were more or less intact than the left half of the Hayabusa land, and she was slowly building a group of survivors, some comprised of warriors donning the standard forest-green Hayabusa garb while others were children and innocent villagers fearing for their lives.

"Do you know what happened, Kenji-san?" Momiji asked of one of the shinobi, who nodded respectfully despite the chaos.

"A legion of fiends, led by one in golden samurai armor, killed the village guards and broke in. I saw them coming and I alerted everyone as best I could. Me and Daichi-san killed some of them, but eventually we had to flee and start evacuating the people. They weren't moving fast enough." Kenji gestured at Daichi, who nodded and confirmed the story. Momiji nodded understandingly, her dark ebony hair bouncing.

"We should continue on our way," Momiji commented, and Kenji and Daichi gestured for the terrified group to follow the shrine maiden.

"Momiji-sama," Kenji started. Momiji glanced back at him. "Daichi and I are going to scout out the rest of the village." Momiji once again nodded.

"Best of luck," she told them as she guided the villagers to the next home.

Ryu jumped over a pile of burning bodies, and he noticed that these attackers- demonic and heartless fiends- were killing even the youngest of children. It pained his heart to see the hand of a young girl sticking out of the lump of his fellow townspeople. Shaking the disgusting thoughts out of his mind, he continued to run. His first destination was his father's palace.

 _Let him be alright, kami,_ he thought frantically, his feet kicking up dirt as he sprinted toward the palace.

When he arrived, the place appeared to be in a relatively well condition. However, the door was no longer on its hinges, and he slowed down. He hid behind the wall of a once-standing house. A small group of fiends, each with pale, violet skin and holes in the center of their hands clambered into the palace, their jagged, dog-like legs clawing noisily on the wooden floor. Silently, Ryu followed the group. He jumped to the first level roof of the Hayabusa home, and he peered through a window, which had blackened because of all the ashy smoke that had risen from the flames of what had once been a functioning town at the foot of Mount Fuji. His emerald-green eyes followed the fiends as they headed upward to the second level, and he once again jumped to the second level roof tile. He stalked them to the third level before leaping to the top and breaking in through a window. His father was in the room and making quick work of a trio of fiends similar to the ones heading up the home's many floors. However, these ones were armed with longer claws and had a green tone to their reptilian skin. Regardless, Jo Hayabusa slayed all of them with ease. He faced Ryu, the blindfold around his eyes hiding his thoughts.

"Son, do you have any idea what's happening to our village?" Jo asked.

"I have no clue, Father… Momiji and I just returned from training in the valley," he informed the Hayabusa headmaster.

"These damn fiends, they just don't know when to stop…" Jo muttered beneath his rather calm breaths.

"Father, there's a group of six lesser fiends headed up. I watched them enter through the front door," Ryu said. Jo grumbled.

"They just don't know _when_ to stop!" he exclaimed just as the six pale-violet demons burst into the room, clawed hands drawn close to their hideously structured faces. Ryu raised his sword before him, and Jo followed suit. Like father, like son, they took down all six demons without mercy, deep blue blood splattering on the floor and walls of the room that contained the Demon Statue. "Go Ryu," Jo commanded. "I'll have to rebuild the village again, just save anyone you can! Go now!" Jo yelled. Ryu nodded and leapt out the window from which he had entered. The super ninja slid on the roof and leaped to the ground below, landing as if he were a sheet of paper blown by the wind.

Momiji was now in charge of the safety of a good portion of the Hayabusa villagers, and she was bringing them to another set of gates that allowed for exit of the village. This gate secured a path that would take the townspeople deep into the body of Mount Fuji, where they could hide and settle until the turmoil died down. The shrine maiden halted the group as her golden eyes fell upon the bodies of the emergency gate guards- Daisuke and Eiichi. Their swords were impaled into their backs, and Eiichi's head could be found resting by his feet.

"Listen here, everyone," Momiji faced the group of villagers. "When these gates open, stay put. I sense a presence hidden by them…" the young woman explained, her naginata staff locked in her grip. As soon as she said that, she heard the familiar voice of Kenji, only this time, he was screaming. Eyes widened, she pushed through the doors and made sure they closed behind her. She raised her naginata staff, staring with her mouth agape as a fiend that donned gold samurai armor stabbed an enormous sword through Kenji's chest. The shinobi's screams for help died with him, and his body fell in a lifeless heap on the warm Hayabusa soil.

Daichi glanced at his fallen comrade, circling the golden samurai slowly and fiercely, katana readied to strike. He noticed Momiji standing by the gates. As she approached, she raised her naginata and slammed it atop the golden samurai's helmet. However, he spun and sent a powerful arm into her chest, sending her into the rocky wall of Mount Fuji's base. Daichi flipped over the samurai to Momiji's side, and he sliced at his arm. The samurai withdrew and raised his greatsword, bringing it down mightily as Daichi dashed from his previous ground. The shinobi darted at the samurai's leg and sent a swift cut through his thigh, avoiding the armor and pulling the blade out. He slid beneath his feet and cut the back of the samurai's shin, and the golden being stumbled a bit before regaining his balance.

Momiji brought her naginata into the samurai's back. She repeated this action at least fifteen times, but the demonic samurai spun around, his green and flame-like face staring her down murderously. He grabbed the naginata staff and pulled her toward him, sticking his blade out as she helplessly gravitated toward him. However, Daichi flipped over his back and sliced him clean in his bicep, causing the the samurai to drop his hold on the naginata staff. Momiji slid beneath him and rose behind his back, sweeping the staff at his legs. Swiftly, the samurai jumped over the swing and brought his sword down upon Momiji. Fortunately, she dodged out of the way and used the back end of her naginata to slam the samurai fiend's entire arm the opposite way, spinning him around.

Daichi took the chance to attack the demon samurai while he was dazed, slicing and dicing at his arms and abdomen. Suddenly, the fiend sent a heavy punch to his chest, sending the shinobi sprawling across the loose soil. Momiji sliced at the samurai as well, but he pivoted and blocked her naginata. As the two faced off violently, Momiji grunted.

"Who… in the… hell… are you?" she winced, eyes staring into the green flame that comprised of the demon's face. It was shaped by the samurai mask, and the flames licked out of it every now and then.

" _I_ am Takachi, brother of the slain Greater Fiend, Doku!" he exclaimed, exerting a force that sent Momiji stumbling back. Her naginata was no longer in her grip, and she was terrified for her life. She backed herself further away as Takachi raised for another swing. As he took it, Daichi darted beneath it and blocked it with his katana, defending the maiden at the very last second. He gritted his teeth beneath his mask and stared into Takachi's shaped face just as Momiji had done. The Dragon Shrine Maiden rolled backward and gripped her naginata just as she heard a sharp crack.

Daichi's eyes widened as his katana sword split in the middle, where it had collided with Takachi's greatsword. The silver tip fell to the dirt with the chiming of metal on rock, and Takachi applied more pressure to his blade. It fell into Daichi's chest, as well as catching nearly half of his head. Takachi wasted no more time cutting the helpless Hayabusa ninja down, splitting him completely in half with a loud splatter as blood was drawn from his torn body.

"Daichi-san!" Momiji screamed, her naginata directed at Takachi while her eyes diverted to the soil, where Daichi's crimson blood was staining the dirt of his final resting place. The shrine maiden was in a state of shock, yet she kept her naginata at the ready. It was her versus Takachi now.

"Ha ha ha!" the gold samurai cackled. "One ninja that could actually put on some kind of a show," he laughed. "You and I, girl," Takachi snickered as he once again brought his sword up. "Are you ready to be embraced by Death?" he asked rhetorically. Momiji shook herself from the shock and pulled her staff closer to her face.

 _I won't let them die in vain,_ she mused as she glanced at the bodies of Kenji and Daichi, two honorable Hayabusa warriors slain by a monster. "Hiya!" Momiji exclaimed as she sent herself at Takachi, naginata blade swinging rapidly as she whipped it repeatedly at the golden samurai fiend. He cackled again as he parried the blows with his greatsword, forcing the maiden backward toward the emergency gates.

Ryu Hayabusa sprinted toward the gathering of Hayabusa villagers grouped by the emergency gates. He was wondering why they were alone and unprotected, mobbing by the gates the way they were.

"Master Ryu!" one of the villagers called out, bringing the Hayabusa warrior to an immediate halt.

"Why are you all standing around here?" he inquired as his refined ears picked up the familiar sound of blade-on-blade grinding. He glanced around as the man that called his name spoke up.

"Momiji-sama gave us the order to stay right here, Ryu-sensei!" Ryu's powerful green eyes stared at the gates, which appeared to be enclosing the clanging of steel.

 _She must be on the other side of the doors,_ he thought worriedly. His thoughts were confirmed by her screams, and he bolted ahead of the group. He kicked the gates open, and they fell uselessly to the ground. There Momiji was, naginata away from her grasp. She was crawling on the ground before a samurai dressed in golden armor. Ryu's eyes shook with anger and… _fear?_ This samurai reminded him of the day the village had been slaughtered by the Lord of the Greater Fiends, Doku, dressed in black samurai armor of identical design…

 _A young Ryu Hayabusa appeared at the Dragon Shrine. His emerald-green eyes were open as he witnessed one of his closest friends- Kureha, the newly positioned Dragon Shrine Maiden- stepping slowly out of the burning shrine temple. Her dark and browned eyes fearfully glanced at Ryu, his sword sheathed in preparation to rescue her. However, she fell limply to the Hayabusa soil, the Eye of the Dragon clutched in her weakening grip. Behind her, amongst the flames of the shrine, a figure donning black samurai armor beheaded a fellow Hayabusa shinobi, his body falling to the floor and spreading a crimson substance. The samurai faced Ryu with a face of blue flame, but the figure placed a mask into his helmet, giving him something along the lines of facial structure. The samurai figure stepped over Kureha's body, wielding the Dark Dragon Blade. Wasting no time, Ryu revealed the Dragon Sword and rushed the samurai, who raised the Dark Dragon Blade and parried his attack. Ryu, unfazed, rushed the samurai figure again, and he easily brought sword across the young Hayabusa's body, dismembering him from his shoulder to his hip. Ryu collapsed to the dirt in an utterly dead heap._

Takachi's attention was drawn to the arrival of the Dragon Ninja himself, and Momiji silently thanked her master over and over again. This fight was as good as done.

"Ah, Ryu Hayabusa. I've heard many tales about you, the murderer of my brother, Lord of the Greater Fiends, Doku," Takachi started. Ryu stared him down emotionlessly. So this fiend was related to Doku? That explained the green licks of flame that made up his head.

"Why are you here? To avenge your long-dead fool of a brother?" Ryu pushed, eyes remaining entirely on the golden form ahead. A snort from Takachi's green flames followed.

"'Fool?' I think _you_ should be the one wearing the title, Hayabusa!" Takachi bellowed. "Prepare to be slain by Takachi, younger brother of the Lord of Greater Fiends!" he exclaimed as he raised his greatsword to fighting position. Ryu brought the Dragon Sword before his masked face.

 _This is where you find your final breath!_ he mused in animosity. Takachi ran forward at surprisingly fast speeds despite his armor, and he swung his weapon at the mighty Dragon Ninja. Ryu darted to the left with the agility of a tiger, bringing the blade of the Dragon Sword into the samurai's arm. Takachi retaliated by pivoting and grabbing Ryu by his arm, slamming him into the ground three times before tossing him aside. Without so much as a shake of his head, the unfazed shinobi rushed the golden samurai and dragged his sword upward along the armor protecting his chest. He flipped backward as Takachi tried to catch him out of the air, and Ryu swiftly threw himself at the demon with his sword slicing at his uncovered hip. Blood spurted from the gash, and Takachi let loose a growl.

 _Damn ninja,_ the monster huffed, greatsword in position. _I'm taking you down in the name of my brother!_ Takachi attempted to grab Ryu, but to no avail. The slippery Hayabusa ninja avoided his hand and brought the Dragon Sword to contact with Takachi's wrist, giving him an on-the-scene amputation. Blood spewed from the new wound as well, and Takachi grumbled as he sliced his greatsword at the powerful super ninja. Ryu parried the sword as if it were a fly, and once again, he threw himself at his enemy, this time aiming for his neck. Takachi smacked him out of the air with his now-handless arm, and he kicked Ryu into a roll. As he prepared to slam his greatsword into Ryu's open back, the Hayabusa heir swept his feet out from under him. He shot to his feet and placed his Dragon Sword on the back of Takachi's exposed neck. Giving not a second thought, he swept the Dragon Sword clean through, blood gushing and pooling as the golden samurai's head rolled sideways. There was no longer a green flame within the helmet, but rather a despairing pit of blackness.

"Is he gone?" one of the townspeople chanced, glancing at Ryu's handiwork. The ninja gave a nod to acknowledge the villagers' safety. The people rejoiced, spreading hugs and kisses over their victory. The fiends may have ravaged their homes and destroyed their families, but they would not humble their spirits.

Flicking the blood off of his blade, Ryu sheathed the sword and hurried to Momiji's side. She was groaning and grunting as he assisted in getting the maiden back on her feet. Restlessly, Momiji located her naginata staff and lifted it, utilizing it as a very large cane.

"Thank you, Master Ryu…" she uttered, her back arched slightly as she looked at the dirt beneath her feet.

"You're welcome, Momiji," Ryu answered. He interrupted the villagers' celebration. "Is anyone here a medical healer?" he questioned the group. Two women came forward, bowing politely before the black-clad shinobi. "Tend to Momiji-san and the rest of the village," he commanded. "I must speak with my father." The two women nodded and herded Momiji with the cheering villagers, guiding them toward the area that contained the infirmary.

Luckily, the infirmary and the surrounding area had not been damaged so critically as the rest of the village, meaning that tending to everyone's injuries would be a lot quicker and easier. The women took care of Momiji first, judging that she had by far received the worst wounds.

Meanwhile, Ryu had returned to the Hayabusa homestead in search of his father, Jo Hayabusa. He needed to discuss the plans for reassembling the village, as well as finding temporary placement for the townsfolk.

The young man entered the the palace silently, his quiet footsteps heading for the stairs and tracking up to the top of the building, where Jo was murmuring in his meditation.

"Ah, Ryu," he began. "I see that you've taken care of the would-be fiend attackers."

"I have, Father," Ryu responded, unmasking himself and revealing his long, brown hair. "And I've come to discuss plans for rebuilding the village." Jo nodded with understanding.

"I felt that might be the case," he said quietly. "I will have you and Momiji travel to the Mugen-Tenshin village and ask for tenant," he explained. "As for assembling the Hayabusa village itself, I will ask of the hand of all able warriors and men."

Ryu had expected his father to say those things. The first time the village had been under siege, back when Ryu was just beginning to perfect his skills, his father had sent the Hayabusa village to the Mugen-Tenshin, who offered home to all of the poor souls until the village could be fixed. The Mugen-Tenshin had offered home during the time when Genshin and the fiend Elizabet had taken the Demon Statue, leaving the Hayabusa crippled and homeless. Surely they would offer a warm place to stay for a third time? Ryu stood, heading toward the doorway. Much of his relationship with his father was strictly business, so he rarely spoke for long bouts with him. However, today had already proved itself irregular enough.

"Son," Jo started, beckoning for the young Hayabusa to reclaim his seat on the mat across from him.

"Yes, Father?" the son pondered, sitting down with his legs crossed obediently. Jo placed a curled hand to his mouth and cleared his throat.

"Have you ever considered your future as the leader of this clan?" Jo inquired, blindfolded eyes managing to "see" him.

"I haven't thought too much about it," Ryu stated. "I've got awhile, Father." Jo shook his head at his son.

"Ryu, you need to think more about your duties as the heir of the Dragon Lineage of Hayabusa warriors. Time flies by and disappears with such speed in this world," Jo explained to his son. "Before either of us is aware of it, I'll be on my deathbed, and you, son, will be the man these people follow. And you, too, will need a family to continue our blood line, lest the world plummet into eternal hell. Do you have any womanly interests?" he questioned his son. Ryu chewed on his words, his eyebrows furrowing subtly.

"I'm… not really sure, Father…" Ryu responded with a soft mumble. Jo nodded.

"What about that woman you told me about? The one that has the adopted daughter?" Jo pondered, "looking" into his son's green eyes. Ryu scratched his head awkwardly.

"Oh, I don't know… I killed that girl's father, twice at that. I don't think I could ever take his place. He wished for me to cut him down, so he didn't have to bear witness to his little girl's demise. He thought I would have to kill her," Ryu explained, shaking his head. "And besides, my relationship with her mother was strictly business. I promised to protect their family, but… I wouldn't want to attach myself to a family I so terribly hurt," Ryu added. Jo shrugged tiredly, staring down his son from behind the white blindfold covering his dull, blinded eyes.

"Is there anyone else you've considered, son?" he pressed, body motionless as he awaited Ryu's response.

Ryu's blundered feelings continued to swell as he considered his father's words. He could not recall a time before where Jo had made him feel so on-the-spot and embarrassed, yet at the same time, he enjoyed his father's opening a time in his generally busy schedule to make him think about the _hopefully_ settled-down life in his future.

"Ah… uh…" Ryu stuttered abashedly, trying to consider all the women he had ever worked closely with.

"Well?" Jo pushed, opening his hands to welcome his son's answer. Ryu painfully shook his head.

"I can only truly think of Kureha…" Ryu answered with shame, hanging his head, an unusual action from him. Jo reached his hand out to his son's shoulder, cutting gracefully through the tense air encasing the two.

"The girl that died in the first attack on our home? The one you used to accompany constantly? The elder sister to your apprentice?" Jo asked his son.

"Yeah… that one… Father…" Ryu mumbled. Now that he had gotten the chance to reflect on his life, he was slowly realizing how lonely he truly felt, how lonely he had truly _become._ All along, he had been experiencing physical pain… yet, at the same time, he had been experiencing the worst form of pain: loneliness. Reflecting on his life thus far had caused him to dig up certain memories, memories the mighty Dragon Ninja had concealed within his own mental Dragon Sword. These memories had gone untouched over the recent years, and suddenly, after his father having found the key… suddenly they were eating Ryu alive. The loss of his mother when he was young, Kureha's slaying, the betrayal of Murai on the Hayabusa clan, Genshin's unavoidable death at the hands of Elizabet, and the events following his days with the Grip of Murder leeching away at his life force… all of it had worked behind the scenes to make Ryu less of a man, a shell of a human being. All the while, it had been satisfied with hiding. Up until now, at least. The Dragon Ninja was surprised to feel a single tear travel down his cheek, dripping off his chin and crashing silently to the mat on which he faced his father.

"Ryu…" Jo whispered, his hand still on his son's stressed shoulder. "Ryu, I haven't felt this response from your presence before," Jo mentioned. "Your mother was an amazing woman, Ryu. She was absolutely in love with you, and I, absolutely in love with her. I was distraught when she died after having birthed you, the carrier of the Dragon Lineage." Ryu's broken eyes glanced at his father. Despite suffering the loss of his best friend, he remained spiritually powerful, and all he emitted was strength in its purest form. Was that the result of having _loved?_

"Father, how is it that you remained so wise and strong after my birth?" Ryu pondered, tired eyes unmoving from the figure of his white-garbed old man. Jo gave a barely noticeable smile, with the slightest nod a man could give.

"Son, when your mother passed, I grieved for months… Even years after, I still can't think about her too often, or else it hurts me. But the reason I stayed strong and able throughout these past decades… it's because of you, son. You are your mother's spirit combined with mine, and that day, I promised I would raise you into the most powerful, most honorable of sons. I was at peace knowing that I could raise you to your mother's liking, and she and I could be survived by you." It was just as Ryu had expected. Love was the force behind his father's never-ending strength and superiority and wisdom. His father never let his love for his mother die, and with that love, he sculpted a successor both he and she could be proud of. Now, Jo was simply passing the proverbial torch to Ryu, the successor. It was, in fact, _his_ turn to be the man seeking a dream of pride with a companion he would always hold dear to him.

"Father…" Ryu uttered weakly, rising to his feet. "I have something important to get off of my shoulders," he stated boldly, leaving his father to meditate in the palace alone. Before he left, his father stopped him.

"Good luck, Ryu Hayabusa, my son."

Ryu appeared at the entrance to the village hospital, asking the two medicinal healers where Momiji had gone.

"Momiji-sama left to her sister's memorial," one of the women informed the Dragon Ninja. The other smiled and confirmed the answer with a nod. To their surprise, Ryu flashed a rare smile.

"Thanks." Ryu spun on his heels and left the infirmary without so much as another word.

On the way out of what was left of the Hayabusa village, Ryu ran into the student trainer known by the name Genjiro.

"Ah, Master Ryu," the man smiled, striding toward him.

"Genjiro," Ryu greeted, bowing respectfully to the man. Genjiro gave the shinobi an approving smile.

"You've saved the village yet again, Master Ryu," he acknowledged. "I wanted to thank you for that." Ryu's mouth curved slightly.

"You're welcome for that," Ryu nodded, continuing on his way. Genjiro stopped him

"Ryu, where are you going?" he inquired calmly. Ryu turned toward him.

"I'm retrieving Momiji so we can venture to the Mugen-Tenshin village and ask for assistance," he told the aging man. "Father's orders." Genjiro signalled his understanding and allowed Ryu to continue on his way.

"I will return tomorrow," the super ninja assured the man as he slipped silently from the village grounds.

At her older sister's memorial, Momiji had placed a bouquet of hand-picked flowers by her gravestone. She sat on her knees with her eyes closed, hands together in front of her bowed head in prayer to her deceased sibling. Suddenly, she felt a presence nearing her. Her eyes opened, and she looked around wearily.

"Hello, Momiji," Ryu greeted her. She smiled.

"Master Ryu," she returned. Her master kneeled beside her to dedicate a moment of prayer to his closest childhood friend.

 _Kureha… my father taught me a lesson about love today. He's the last man I would've expected to get lectured on about the topic- if any man at all- and he unlocked my box of sealed emotions. I don't know how to say it, but he asked me if I'd thought about my continuing the Dragon Lineage… to which I responded that I hadn't, necessarily. He gave me a story about my mother after asking me if I'd known any women of… er… romantic interest. I learned that a man who loves is the most powerful man in the world, regardless of the circumstance. I told my father that you were closest to being the woman I loved… but I didn't have those feelings when I was younger. I didn't understand love even remotely, and even until today, it was vague in my mind. It seems so simple, but I've learned that it's not as easy as it seems. I feel it will be my hardest task to master, learning how to actively display affection… But I'm apologizing to you beforehand, Kureha. I'm sorry that I couldn't love you when I had the chance… and now, the way I felt about you, I feel for your sister. Kureha, will you forgive me?_ Ryu pondered, awaiting a response from his dear friend.

Momiji watched her master in his prayer, observing the way he knelt. However, she was mostly interested in the emotions he was emitting: sorrow, loneliness, frustration, and lust. The shrine maiden was absolutely confused about three of the four she was sensing. She understood why Ryu would be frustrated, and he constantly emitted it with his being, but she had never felt her master giving the vibrations of sorrow, loneliness, and lust. All three were new to her, and she could not understand _why_ they were present in her master.

 _Ryu Hayabusa…_ came the soft, velvet-like sound of Kureha's heavenly voice, although not on the physical plane. _I'd already forgiven you the moment you told me you learned a lesson about love. I know we grew apart, and that might have had a hand in you being able to simply put me away, but I loved you as well. Since I've passed, I don't want you to worry about me any longer. After all, you shouldn't have to worry about the spirit of a gone woman. Ryu, I want you to follow your heart and your desires. I want to see you lead the Hayabusa clan and I want to see you lead with someone you can truly love by your side. If that woman is my sister, so be it! You deserve the world, Ryu, and I believe that my sister can offer that world to you… she's truly an amazing young woman, you and I both know this. She's taken to your teachings so quickly, it's barely believable to call her the shrine maiden any longer… she's becoming the super ninja you're training her to be. Perhaps you and Momiji can be super weds! I'm fine with whoever you desire to be yours… I want you to know that I love you either way, Ryu Hayabusa. Best of wishes, and best of luck, old friend!_

Ryu rose to his feet, and Momiji followed suit. Ryu faced her.

"My father has told me to go to the Mugen-Tenshin village," Ryu informed his apprentice, who nodded without a sound. "You can come along if you want." Momiji hopped on any opportunity she got to follow her master on adventures, and this situation would be no different. "Are you prepared?" Ryu checked his apprentice.

"Ready as always, Master Ryu," Momiji smirked, her arms crossed as she bobbed her head. That was different. Ryu never verbally made sure that Momiji was ready to travel with him. Something about him had definitely changed in the recent hours, days, weeks. He was seeming more open about things, as if having had nothing happen the past few months had changed his outlook on the world around him.

As the warrior duo traversed the dark forest separating the Hayabusa, Mugen-Tenshin, and Black Spider residences, Momiji kept pondering about her master's strange spiritual presence. He was normally more reserved as a man, but he just had emotions flowing from his soul, and Momiji had yet to know _why._ The greatest, most influential question was tugging her by her long, ebony hair at the moment, and she could not shake it. However, she believed it would be disrespectful to ask Ryu about the feelings she was sensing. The pupil did not want to run the risk of angering her master, the Hayabusa heir no less, so she just kept to herself. Perhaps she could ask after his emotions died and he calmed a little more.

Ryu and Momiji had entered a vast clearing after walking for hours without stopping once. In the distance, they could see the walls of the Mugen-Tenshin village, resting proudly on an incline that pushed it right up against the salmon-pink horizon.

 _Finally, we've arrived,_ Ryu sighed, giving a spent sigh. Momiji glanced at her mentor and placed a soft hand on his shoulder, capturing his attention.

"Master Ryu, I've been meaning to ask you this," she started, looking him up and down with concern. "While we were at my sister's shrine, I felt something in your spirit… you seemed lonely and lustful…" Momiji revealed to the Dragon Ninja. "I don't mean to bother you or make you uncomfortable, Ryu-sama, but may I ask why you were feeling so despaired?" Ryu stared his apprentice down, bringing his hood away from his head.

"I've just been… thinking about things, Momiji-san. It's nothing to worry about," he told the young woman. This brought a curl to her lips. At least Ryu claimed to be alright… but Momiji could see through his assurances clear as glass. Something was bugging her fellow Hayabusa warrior, and she _would_ find out what that "something" was.

At the gates of the village, two ninja dressed in black gi approached Ryu and Momiji.

"Ah, Master Ryu, what brings you here to the Mugen-Tenshin?" one man asked, his naginata's blade pointed up toward the darkening sky.

"Business," Ryu answered vaguely.

"The Hayabusa village was attacked again," Momiji clarified. The first guard nodded.

"Ah, do you need help to find the perpetrators?" the ninja inquired. Both Hayabusa warriors shook their heads. "We defeated the invaders- well, Ryu-sama did," spoke Momiji, bumping her master ever so subtly with her hip. "It was a legion of fiends led by a Greater Fiend." The guards glanced at one another and the second one, who wore a similar garb as his friend, opened the village gates. Bowing, Ryu and Momiji quietly entered the large village grounds.

"You shouldn't so readily tell things like that to other people," Ryu scolded softly. Momiji gave her master a look of utter confusion.

"Why, Ryu-sama? Aren't they friendly?" she asked. Ryu nodded.

"In this case, we can trust them. But would you have told that to those guards had this been an entirely different village, Momiji-san? Those guards don't need to know about our village's struggles, and we shouldn't burden them with the care," Ryu quietly suggested to his pupil. Momiji nodded bashfully as her cheeks became a light pink shade. She hated how Ryu scolded in such a caring manner… it gave her a tingly feeling, like that of a mother. Her master scolded like a father to a very young child.

The duo stood outside of the Mugen-Tenshin homestead, and Ryu slammed the door three times with the golden doorknocker.

"Yeah? Who is it?" sounded the familiar voice of Hayate, leader of the Mugen-Tenshin clan.

"You're good friend, Ryu," the Dragon Ninja answered. He received a heavy elbow from his apprentice. "Ryu _and_ Momiji-san," he added, shaking his head at the girl. Momiji gave a saccharine smile.

The doors opened abruptly, revealing the figure of Hayate. He was wearing a snowy gi, and he held a cup of tea in his free hand. The other was occupied with the door.

"What do _you_ want, scum?" Hayate joked as a smile crept across his features. Momiji giggled, and Ryu could not help but give a grin himself.

"It's been a while, Hayate," he commented. "We can catch up later, right now we've got important business to attend to." Hayate did not ask any questions, he only allowed Ryu and Momiji into the Mugen-Tenshin palace. The built young man brought them up a flight of stairs and into a room lit with many lamps shaded with a bouncing red paper.

"May I entice you with a cup of tea?" Hayate asked the two Hayabusa warriors.

"No thanks, I'm fine," Ryu answered, gesturing with his hands. Momiji, on the other hand, nodded her head with her pink lips curved into a smile.

"Kasumi!" Hayate shouted, summoning his sister before him.

"Yes, Hayate- Ryu-sama!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around the Dragon Ninja. He stumbled from the gesture, which carried impressive strength. "I haven't seen you in such a long time, Ryu-sama!" Kasumi smiled, squeezing tightly against Ryu's tight and lacquered Black Falcon uniform. Ryu awkwardly hugged the younger kunoichi, giving a soft chuckle as he glared at Hayate.

Momiji stared at the girl in a deep blue, revealing garb- Kasumi, the younger sister of Hayate. She did not like admitting it, but she was a tad bit jealous of the Mugen-Tenshin kunoichi. What gave her the means to so vigorously shake down the Hayabusa heir, her mentor nonetheless? But… why did she care so much? She should not have contained the most miniscule part of envy, yet here she was, jealously pondering why a girl was strangling her poor master to death. Her cheeks once again became a light pink color as she quickly realized what was happening.

"Kasumi, Ryu-san and I have business to deal with. Why don't you stop fondling him and get his lady friend some tea?" At the words "lady friend," Kasumi gave Momiji a nasty glare. However, upon hearing those exact words, Momiji's cheeks once again flushed a paled pink color. Did Hayate-sama really have to describe her as Ryu-sama's "lady friend?"

The three ninja seated themselves on mats situated around a round table made of tinted blue glass. Kasumi had grumpily given Momiji her tea, not afraid to give the kunoichi in white and crimson hakama yet another disgusted glare. Momiji actually caught it this time around, however, and she began to wonder what she had done wrong.

Kasumi set the teapot on a low-heated stove, so as to keep it in a good, warm state. She leaned against a wall in the kitchen and sighed, giving a shrug as she crossed her arms and stared at the marble tile of the floor.

 _Who does she think she is, that_ _ **maiden**_ _Ryu dragged in?_ the girl mused with complete jealousy. _Ryu-sama is mine! She won't get him if I can help it!_ Kasumi should have been aware of the fact that she was acting on extremely immature and irresponsible thoughts, both things that she _was_ fully aware would be turn-offs for the mighty super ninja. However, she did not care. Ryu was all hers! There was no way a girl like the one following him around could _possibly_ steal his heart… right?

 _I guess I'll just have to find out myself!_ the younger sister growled, stomping out of the kitchen and exiting the doors of the Mugen-Tenshin palace.

"You're absolutely sure you've cleared the fiends in the Hayabusa village area, Ryu?" Hayate asked his good friend.

"100 percent, Hayate," Ryu reassured the Mugen-Tenshin shinobi. "If there were any fiends left near my village, I wouldn't have the time to listen to my father and come here asking for help, now would I?" he said smugly. Hayate nodded, and he looked at Momiji. She nodded as well, a smile once again plastering itself on her round face.

"Well, I trust that you would've made your work of them by this point," Hayate commented. "I can't see it being too hard to send a few of my men to your village. Jo-sensei may not have asked of it, but the sooner your village is up and running again, the better. I'll begin setting up a plan to give the Hayabusa a comfortable place to reside in for the coming weeks," Hayate ensured.

"Hayate-san," Ryu caught the man's powerful and wise gaze. "Thank you." The Dragon Ninja and the Dragon Shrine Maiden rose quietly to their feet, turning and heading toward the door.

"Ryu," Hayate called out. The ninja spun around and faced him. "You can have the guest room in the basement if you don't want to make the trek back to your own village." Ryu thought it over, unsure of whether or not he should stay. The hospitality was nice, and he had not seen his Mugen friends in a long while, but the Hayabusa village was still reeling. He did not know if they needed his support or not. So, indecisively, he turned to Momiji.

"What do you say, Momiji-san?" he questioned, green gaze looking into her golden eyes.

Momiji tapped a foot as she considered the question. She decided rather quickly that they should just stay in the village for the night.

"We shouldn't risk clashing with the Black Spider clan at this time of day," she said. "We've seen enough of our own blood having been cut down."

"Great! The room's already prepared for your stay," Hayate informed the two. "Make yourselves at home. This will be your place of dwelling for awhile, after all." With that, Hayate left the room. Momiji snuck a glance at her master, his arms crossed as he appeared deep in thought. He seemed distant. Rather than coerce her mentor to tell her what he was thinking about, the Dragon Shrine Maiden simply headed toward the doorway. A smile crept across her face when she heard the patter of her master's footsteps behind her, much to her bewilderment.

Outside of the palace, Momiji was still walking ahead of Ryu when, from the rooftop, Kasumi landed light as a feather before the shrine maiden.

"Hmph," she mumbled, staring Momiji down with her amber eyes. She gave off a menacing aura, causing the maiden to take on a fighting stance.

"What do you want?" she asked, still completely unaware of why Kasumi had shot her that evil glare whilst giving her her tea.

"I want to know why you're here with Ryu-sama!" the kunoichi demanded angrily. Momiji growled in annoyance.

"Why does it matter that I'm here with Master Ryu?" she inquired, returning the menacing gaze Kasumi was giving her. Kasumi gave yet another frustrated grunt.

"Because Ryu-sama isn't interested," she complained vaguely. Behind Momiji, the Dragon Ninja's eyes were wide. What in the hell was Kasumi rambling about now?

"Interested in what, exactly?" Momiji asked. This girl, Kasumi, was getting on her bad side really quick. She was acting just like a child.

"Ryu-sama is not interested in courting a "lady friend" like you, _maiden,_ " Kasumi growled, finally taking on a stance of her own. "And I can show you exactly why." At this point, Ryu decided to butt himself between the two feisty women.

"Calm down, you two," he muttered. "This is embarrassing on both of your accounts." Obediently, Momiji backed away and bowed apologetically, cheeks once again flushed pink.

"My apologies, Master Ryu…" she mumbled softly. However, Kasumi remained in her position.

"Look at you, listening to every single word he tells you to," the kunoichi taunted. "I bet you do that when you're in bed with-"

" _Kasumi!"_ Ryu barked. "What are you doing? Momiji is my apprentice! Now, I don't know what you've got up your sleeve, but you aren't taking it out on Momiji-san!" he yelled. "You're acting just like a little girl. Stop being so naive before I slap some sense into you. I've done it before, and I'll do it again. Calm yourself, and act like a real woman would," he commanded. Kasumi was about to say something snobby, but she decided that it would not help her situation.

"I'm sorry, Ryu-sama," she muttered, bowing as Momiji had moments before.

"Good," he grumbled, giving her a disappointed scowl. "I thought Hayate would've taught you better by now, but it seems he still has yet to give you the memo." With that said, he tugged Momiji's wrist and she followed behind him like a service dog. The two disappeared into the commotion of the villagers as they conversed and traded goods with one another.

Kasumi continued to bow her head down, even after Ryu Hayabusa had gone, taking Momiji with him.

 _I've made a complete fool of myself…_ she cursed. _But_ _ **you**_ _Momiji- you're absolutely finished!_ she mused, shaking her frustrated, strawberry hair and heading to her room inside the Mugen-Tenshin home.

"What in your mind made you think that was an acceptable way to face Kasumi?" Ryu asked his apprentice, once again catching her eyes. Momiji bowed her head to the ground in shame.

"I'm sorry, Master Ryu, but she gave me this glare earlier. It was in the palace, when she was bringing me my tea… it was this nasty little thing, and it made me uncomfortable, like she had some kind of grudge. I'm sorry, Ryu-sama, I really am-"

"Save your apologies, Momiji-san," Ryu told her, a disapproving hand raised to halt her speech. "I thought you knew better than to continue a pointless and completely unruly fight. You two were really about to go at it," Ryu scolded her, this time in a less fatherly manner. "I don't want to be held accountable for you and Kasumi getting into catfights, Momiji-san," he explained to her. Momiji kept her golden gaze situated on the hard stone beneath their feet. She apologized again.

"I'm sorry, Master Ryu…" she trailed abashedly. Ryu mumbled to himself and continued walking through the town, stopping himself at a merchant's cart to see what the man had to offer. If there was anything particularly nice he would consider making a purchase.

Momiji followed her master before she lost sight of him. The last thing she wanted to do was be cornered on her own, without Ryu to help watch her back. By now the shrine maiden was well aware of the trouble Kasumi could obviously bring to the table, and she had decided she would have absolutely none of it. She was not a child, but a young woman- a warrior at that.

 _No fighting, Momiji,_ she told herself, placing a fist above her heart and closing her eyes, vowing that she would stay away from any melodramatic trouble. _That Kasumi girl is no good to you._

Ryu and Momiji returned empty-handed to the Mugen home, where they headed to the guest room just as soon as they arrived. Ryu went in because he was becoming tired, and Momiji followed because she did not want to get herself into any more trouble. When the two actually entered, the first thing they noticed was that there was _one_ bed- it was large, but a single bed? That was a great way to make a duo feel just a little uncomfortable. Once again, Momiji found herself concealing a pink tint on her cheeks.

 _Oh kami, I'm blushing_ _ **again**_ _,_ she thought in embarrassment. She was in a state of bemusement. She kept blushing at just about every awkward moment she had experienced with her master that day, from being called a high-implication "lady friend" to, well, this. Being a healer and all, Momiji had seen a majority of her master's body. However, not a single time had she ever slept in the same room as him, let alone sleep _with_ him. The thought of it made her dive into another rage of sakura cheeks. What if he rolled on top of her, or what if he shoved her off the bed in his sleep? What if he was a sleepwalker? Hell, what if Ryu Hayabusa were to latch onto her like a child's teddy bear? The thoughts made Momiji a very pink woman, and she knew at this point that she just could not help herself. Perhaps the reason she was thinking so much more about sharing a bed than she generally would have was because she was still feeling odd about her master. She had not completely set aside the question she had asked him before they arrived at the Mugen-Tenshin village: ' _I don't mean to bother you or make you uncomfortable, Ryu-sama, but may I ask why you were feeling so despaired?'_

Once again, thinking about the question made her eager to hear his true answer. She knew he had played it off as nothing but… now that they were alone, she felt that sulking presence he had had earlier returning rather hastily. In fact, as she glanced at the master ninja, she glimpsed him sitting alone at the foot of the bed, his head directed at the floor. He must have been thinking about something. The way his shoulders were tensed and his head, still, implied that he could have been musing about anything. The Dragon Shrine Maiden came nearer to her master, leaving the wall that she had been leaning silently against to check on him. As she neared him, she began to worry. Was her master _shuddering?_ It may have been nearly nonexistent, but Ryu's entire body was trembling in a fashion Momiji had never seen before- Ryu Hayabusa was shaking with sorrow. All the times before, Momiji had only dealt with him shaking due to interactions with some of his more sensitive injuries, and even then, it was a quick shudder that was gone the next instant. But this shaking was continuous. Wanting to make sure that Ryu was fine, she hurried closer, only to freeze in her tracks at the unmistakable sound of a tearful sniffle. It had been just barely audible, but Momiji had caught it alike to the shudders.

"Ryu-sama!" she exclaimed as she rushed over to place a hand on his shoulder. However, the Hayabusa ninja grabbed the maiden's arm and forced her back to the wall from which she had hurried so hastily to his aid. Momiji let out a gasp as her back collided with the wall, Ryu's emerald-green eyes staring desperately into her own, the quiet river of flowing tears painting a single line on each of his cheeks. Momiji's hands were pinned to either side of her head with Ryu easily overpowering her, his stare piercing deep down into her spirit. Yet the shrine maiden was not afraid, and she was not struggling. Because in her master's great, green eyes, she found a particular yearning. Just another thing she had not ever contemplated seeing from her mentor. His face drew closer to hers at a sloth's pace, and the tension was bearing down on the young Hayabusa woman. "Ryu-sama!" she shouted once again, only to have him silently ignore her. The tears had stopped, and he was inches away from her face.

Even in the dim lighting of the room, the Dragon Ninja could see the deep blush Momiji was now sporting, her gold eyes fixed on his. The ninja's grip on her hands increased as he forwarded even slower, eyes unnerved and unblinking. His eyelashes were protruding due to the effect of having silently cried from his pain, the pain that his apprentice had still not figured out.

The heat in Momiji's face made her want to push Ryu away, but at the same time, she could not bring herself to do it. Why? Because, somewhere deep down, she _wanted_ this. The Dragon Shrine Maiden had been craving attention from her master, and attention of this sort specifically. She had denied it, dismissing it in her mind as taboo, but she had never guessed that it might be possible. She had always wanted this from Ryu Hayabusa, heir to the Hayabusa ninja clan. And that was why she soon found herself cooing Ryu's name. He continued to creep closer, silent as a shinobi should be. He stopped when there were about five inches separating the duo, with Momiji's blush lessening as she adjusted to the situation. There were two ways she believed that this night could end, and both were an enticing treat to the shrine maiden.

In the first situation, Momiji believed Ryu would simply declare their love for one another, and they would share a passionate kiss. The bed would be a lot more comfortable if this happened.

Situation two was by far more passionate, and in Momiji's opinion, it was the better possibility. Here she believed that Ryu would declare his love, but at the same time, he would _prove_ that love, the fiery passion they both shared in this moment. In this situation, he would toss her like a ragdoll onto their bed, regardless of whether or not his best friend was upstairs in another room. The heated warriors would open their bodies to one another, and they would love each other skin-to-skin. In this situation, Ryu would unclothe the beautiful shrine maiden, and he would have his way with her. He would pleasure her in ways Momiji could only dream about, and he would never leave her. Either way, their fate was to be decided in this very moment…

Momiji felt her master squeeze her hands further, and his eyes gave a final, razor sharp decision to be left up to her: to be or not to be? Immediately, her gaze spoke thousands of words all summed up to mean one thing.

 _Love me, Hayabusa…_

 _Thank you, Kureha, for granting me this opportunity of uncut happiness…_

Ryu's lips collided with Momiji's, bringing with them the force of a truly powerful kiss, a connection that brought _love_ to the maiden's system in its purest form. Both ninja had closed eyes, settling all their previous feuds with a fierce tongue battle, and Ryu yet again had the upper hand. He took Momiji over the edge, and the shrine maiden moaned his name, dying for the ultimatum between Ryu and herself. To Momiji's delight, she felt the tug of Ryu's strong hands pulling her away from the wall, and bringing her toward the bed.

That night, the Dragon Shrine Maiden felt the true power that the Dragon Ninja held within, forever locked away until that fateful night. That night, Ryu learned what had molded his father into the man he had always known him to be. That night, two warriors felt the lustful rush of a relentless _passion._ A passion only found through the shell of a man's pain.


End file.
